


Cousins

by cassyblue



Category: Imperial Radch Series - Ann Leckie
Genre: Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2019-01-05 02:08:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12180822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassyblue/pseuds/cassyblue
Summary: An unexpected gesture has Sphene surpised





	Cousins

“Cousin, I meant no offense-” Breq says as Sphene stares at the small object in her outstretched hand. 

“No offense is taken.” Sphene says as it continues to stare at the object in Breq’s hand. It knows that Breq means well. But the gesture has left it stunned. The beautifully carved jade cameo was not something that the Fleet Captain had idly seen at a shop. No, this is something that Breq had put thought into. Sphene had accepted the invitation to tea with Breq since it didn’t have many friends after everything. Breq understands some of the pain. And after all, Sphene does respect Breq for shooting the tyrant. Amaat! Sphene wishes it could have been the one at Omaugh trying to avenge the human it loved instead of Breq. But it doubts that it would have had the effect that Breq did. 

Fleet Captain pauses slightly, “I can’t begin to understand what it was like. But I know what it is like to loose your favorite.”

“She wasn’t just a favorite.” Sphene says slowly. “You know that we were built to love our captains.”

“Yes.”

“She was everything to me. And she loved me back. That is something alien to you, cousin, is it not?”

Breq draws a breath, keeping her face flat and expressionless. But Sphene knows there is a guilt to it. “Yes, Mercy of Kalr and Seivarden have been trying to help me understand. Ships are built to love, but not to be loved. It was a thing that I accepted. It was the way of things. Humans- they are fleeting to a ship.”

“You, false Radchaai have no imagination sometimes.” Sphene says, “Your Awn cared about her decade of ancillaries. But it wasn’t the same as Minask.”

Breq’s face darkens. 

“No offense, Cousin.”

“None taken.” Breq says flatly. Of course she would take offense. Awn was her favorite after all. The gold pin glints on Breq’s collar. It is the one pin that Breq always wears. 

Sphene lifts the jade cameo. It runs its fingers over it admiring how well the artisan captured the likeness. “Cousin, this is truly beautiful. But why?”

“Having a pin for Awn-- it brought me peace. I thought that, you may like a pin for your Captain. I know she gave you one. Kalr Five mentioned something about that.”

Of course Kalr Five would. Sphene begrudgingly will admit it likes the human even if she is a false radchaai. Kalr Five is like a worried bird at times. It still finds it odd that even after threatening to kill and the animosity toward her, that Kalr Five would fuss about it. Sphene supposes it perhaps counts her as a friend. After all Kalr Five did help repair the tea set from Minask. The crew of Mercy of Kalr is very odd indeed. Sphene has remarked upon that to Mercy of Kalr who just laughed. 

“Did she choose it?” Sphene asks. 

Breq gestures no, “I did. I thought it improper you had no memorial pin.”

“It was improper for Minask to give me the pin originally. I tried to tell her that.” Sphene’s lips curl ever so slightly at the memory. 

Breq replies with a jesting tone, “Cousin, were you one ever for propriety?”

“I was once. But I suppose Minask changed that. Cousin, thank you.” Sphene pins the cameo to its shirt. The weight hangs over the ancillary’s heart. It touches the pin again. 

“You are welcome.” Breq says. 

Sometimes Sphene finds Breq irritating and wants to throttle her. Other times, Sphene can tolerate her. But sometimes Breq surprises it with gestures. Ships rarely befriend each other. They are acquaintances at most. Ships do not love each other. But Breq is that odd creature that surprises Sphene with the way that she thinks of everyone else but her. Cousin. That was Breq’s term of address. Sphene adopted it. Cousin. Cousins. Sphene looks down at the pin. Cousin has become a much more loaded term. Family. 

Ships perhaps can love one another in their own way.


End file.
